YTU Monthly - March, 2026
Research, Innovation and Campus Life at Yildiz Technical University (YTU)
Yildiz Technical University (YTU) is pleased to launch the first issue of its Research & Innovation Newsletter, created to share selected highlights from our university’s research ecosystem with the global academic community.
We warmly invite researchers, institutions, and industry partners worldwide to connect with YTU for collaborative opportunities.
Featured Research Projects
At Yildiz Technical University, research is not only an academic pursuit but also a catalyst for sustainable transformation and global collaboration. Through internationally funded projects and strategic partnerships, YTU continues to generate high-impact solutions addressing energy transition, climate resilience, advanced technologies, and sustainable development.
ECO-SPHERE – Circular Economy for the Sustainable Earth Spheres: Geosphere, Biosphere, Hydrosphere & Atmosphere is a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme dedicated to advancing circular economy and sustainable product design. Coordinated in part by Yildiz Technical University, it offers 24 postdoctoral fellowships of 24 months across key sustainability research areas, including eco-design, energy, water and wastewater management, material recovery, climate policy, business models, and waste management.
ECO-SPHERE aims to strengthen Europe’s expert capacity in circular economy research while supporting the European Green Deal, the UN SDGs, and the Paris Agreement. The programme targets resource- and energy-intensive sectors such as electronics, automotive, plastics, construction, food, water, and energy. With a human-centric perspective, it promotes solutions that integrate People, Planet, and Profit, empowering consumers and cities to benefit from circular transformation.
Beyond this programme, YTU is also actively involved in innovative Horizon Europe projects focused on sustainability and clean energy solutions. PV4Plants (AgriPV system with climate, water, and light spectrum control for safe, healthier, and improved crops production) is an ambitious Horizon Europe initiative focused on agrivoltaics, the simultaneous use of land for renewable energy generation and high-quality agricultural production. With contributions from Yildiz Technical University, the project develops and demonstrates adaptable photovoltaic systems that optimize light transmission and crop-growing conditions while generating clean energy.
Its innovations include luminescent glass colour converters designed as spectral-conversion layers that simultaneously support crop growth and photovoltaic performance, multi-indicator real-time monitoring systems, and highly replicable demonstration sites in Türkiye, Spain, and Denmark.
The project also emphasizes recyclability, sustainability standards, and policy recommendations to accelerate the adoption of agrivoltaic technologies across diverse climates and agricultural contexts.
Patents & Technology Transfer
Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, innovation, and technology transfer, YTU advances globally relevant solutions by transforming scientific excellence into high-value patented technologies. The patented invention, “A Drug for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer,” developed at YTU, introduces an indium (III) phthalocyanine–based anticancer compound designed for photodynamic therapy. When activated by light, the compound selectively triggers cell death in cervical cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Positioned within pharmaceutical technology, biomedical science, and medical chemistry, this innovation offers a more targeted and potentially lower–side-effect alternative to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Its compatibility with photodynamic therapy enables precise cancer cell targeting, presenting a promising and effective treatment pathway for cervical cancer.
Complementing its progress in precision oncology, YTU further reinforces its leadership in biomedical innovation through advanced biofabrication technologies designed for personalized and minimally invasive therapeutic applications.
The patented invention titled “Production of Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery by Dynamic Light Processing,” developed under the direction of Prof. Dr. Cem Bülent Üstündağ at YTU, introduces a high-precision, mold-free DLP 3D printing platform for biodegradable hydrogel microneedle patches. Originating from the TymPatch project, the technology enables personalized GelMA/KerMA-based patches designed for the non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic eardrum perforations.
Loaded with therapeutic agents via electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA), the biofunctional and biodegradable patch integrates seamlessly with the tympanic membrane, eliminating the need for a secondary surgical intervention. This minimally invasive and scalable innovation represents a significant step forward in personalized medicine and targeted drug delivery.
International Events & Conferences
In the coming days, YTU will host two important international congresses, welcoming researchers and professionals from around the world to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and collaboratively shape the future of energy and sustainable food systems.
International Conference on Energy Systems, ICES 2026 will be held from May 3–6, 2026 at Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Türkiye. This premier international forum brings together researchers, scientists, engineers, and policymakers to exchange ideas and share the latest advances in energy technologies, systems, and applications.
ICES 2026 focuses on a broad spectrum of topics in energy systems, including but not limited to:
Sustainable and renewable energy technologies
Energy conversion, storage, and efficiency
Smart and resilient energy infrastructure
Emerging challenges and innovations in energy research
Selected high-quality papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in reputable journals such as International Journal of Hydrogen Energy and Energy Storage following extended peer review.
The International Food Innovation and Sustainability Congress (IFIS 2026) is a major interdisciplinary event hosted by the Yildiz Technical University Department of Food Engineering, taking place in Istanbul, Türkiye on 7–9 May 2026. It brings together researchers, industry professionals, students, and policymakers to address key advances in food science, sustainability, and technology.
IFIS fosters multidisciplinary exchange across topics such as food innovation, sustainable food systems, safety and processing technologies, biotechnology, digitalisation, AI applications, sustainable packaging, nutritional innovation, and life cycle analysis. The congress emphasizes real-world impact and industry–university collaboration through presentations, networking sessions, and visibility opportunities for emerging researchers.